Agile AD2300 Jr.

More than likely added to compliment their large array of Les Paul-inspired guitars, the folks at Rondo Music designed the AD2300 to put their spin on the Les Paul Junior double cutaway model. Looking more than a bit like the bastard child of Brian May’s Red Special and a Les Paul Junior, the AD2300 is a great place to jump in if you are seeking a solid body guitar with the unmistakable sound of cranked P90 pickups.

Like a late 50’s Junior, the AD2300 features a 1 3/4″ mahogany body with nicely rounded edges and a flat top. Unlike the Gibson models, the 2300 has a beveled back for comfort that cuts down on the “boat oar with strings” feel of other flat-topped electrics.

Like all other LP Jr.-styled guitars, the main calling card is the presence of P90 pickups. With two black soap bars as stock pickups the AD2300 roars with the familiar bite of a single coil mahogany guitar. The good thing is these are not crummy import low-rent P90’s. These babies are wax-potted, hot and reasonably quiet. In fact, these are some of the hottest and articulate P90’s I’ve heard on any guitar, import or otherwise.

All the other Rondo features are there: Set neck, Grovers, 2 volume & 2 tone controls with a 3 way switch, pearloid inlays, tune-o-matic bridge.

The AD2300 comes in several colors such as white, natural (which is more red than brown!), black and TV yellow. You have to check with Rondo to see which models are in stock at any given time. They also offer a slim neck version and a wide fingerboard version as well as left-handed models. The review model was well set up but needed a bit of fret-filing to get cracking.

At $260 you can easily get an AD2300 and go hogwild with upgrades and customization. It was my intent to swap out the P90’s with mini-humbuckers and add a Bigsby, but there it sits, dead stock and ready to rock.